Elder Abuse: For-Profit Nursing Homes Neglecting Patient Care

A principle of capitalism is that organizations seeking to make a profit will have the freedom to do their best work providing services in an open market. At the same time, consumers are also free to make a choice and take their business elsewhere if they find a company isn’t providing the level of service they expect. The idea is that an organization, such as a for-profit nursing home, will have employees dedicated to doing their best in order to remain competitive with other nursing homes in the area.

Unfortunately for elders, as well as the relatives and friends in their lives, it turns out that maintaining a for-profit status can lead to poorer performance in nursing homes. In the worst cases, the problem stems from nursing homes putting profits and their businesses’ bottom line above patient care. This type of behavior often leads to instances regarding elder abuse.

Emphasizing Profits Over Patient Care?

Larger nursing homes tend to do worse in terms of patient care when compared to smaller nursing homes, according to a recent report from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Approximately 15,500 nursing homes are currently certified to offer care to recipients of Medicaid or Medicare. The majority (70%) of these nursing homes are run on a for-profit basis, with the average facility having 106 beds.

Statistics show that 36% of nursing homes certified to provide care to Medicaid or Medicare patients have received a rating of just 1 or 2 stars out of 5. The Kaiser Family Foundation noted that 42% of for-profit nursing homes received 1-2 star ratings, which is about twice as many as the number of non-profit nursing homes.

On the other hand, smaller nursing homes maintaining fewer beds tend to do much better, with 39% of the ones with fewer than 60 beds receiving 5 stars (the maximum rating). Families seeking the best possible situation for their elders would therefore tend to get better results if they aim for smaller non-profit nursing homes instead of larger nursing homes that are run to make a profit.

Assistance from an Elder Abuse Attorney Is a Phone Call Away

Have you become suspicious that elder abuse is occurring in a nursing home that is run to make a profit? While it is disheartening to consider that any owners or operators of for-profit nursing homes would emphasize money over patient care, the statistics indicate that these problems occur more often in larger for-profit nursing homes.

If you think an elder you know is potentially being abused in a nursing home and would like more information on how to proceed, the law firm of Garcia & Artigliere is standing by to assist you. To arrange for a free case review and a confidential consultation with one of the elder abuse experts on our legal team, please contact us today at 1-800-281-8515.

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Contact Garcia & Artigliere to learn about your legal options. We offer a free, no-obligation, and confidential consultation. At Garcia & Artigliere there is no fee – not even court costs – unless we win your case.